Automatic lumber-transfer device.



PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904. DE WITTC. PRESGOTT. AUTMATIG LUMBER TRANSFER DEVICE.

APPLICATION- FILED MAR.14, 1904.

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. .DE WITT o. PRESGOTT.

AUTOMATIC LUMBER TRANSFER DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.14. 1904.

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Patented September 27', 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

DE WITT C. PRESCOTT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC `LUNIBERTRANSFER DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,089, dated September 27, 1904,

Application filed March 14, 1904.

panying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to that class of transfer devices employed in connection with sawmills for conveying the manufactured lumber away from the saw, and particularly to that feature of transfer devices adapted for the lateral transfer of lumber from its direct path from the saw.

The object of the invention is to provide improved means for bringing into action and operating the lateral transfer mechanism; and it consists of the parts and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described and as shown in the accompanying' drawings, in which` Figure 1 is a detail plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation thereof, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view lon the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

The side sills of the transfer device are shown at 10 11, and upon these sills are mounted a series of rollers 12, of any desired number, the trunnions of these rollers being jour- -naled in suitable boxes 13 14, secured to the upper faces of the sills. A drive-shaft 15 is journaled in boxes 16, carried by brackets projecting' from one of the sills 10, and upon this shaft are fixed beveled gears 17, intermeshing with similar gears 18, mounted upon the trunnions of the rollers 12. Power is transmitted to the shaft 15 by any suitable mechanism, as the beveled gear 19, keyed thereon.

A plurality of skids 20, of any desired number, are pivoted upon the shaft 15 and project across the frame of the transfer device to its opposite side. These skids are longitudinally channeled and recessed at their ends to accommodate chains 23 and the sprocket-Wheels 21 22, carrying the same, the former wheel being xed upon the shaft 15. At its rearward end each skid is provided with a down- Serial No. 198,039. (No model.)

Wardly-projecting arm 24 and is supported from a shaft 25, suitably journaled in the frame of the machine, a rod 26, pivotally attached to the skid-arm 24, forming a part of the strap 27 of an eccentric 28, fixed upon the shaft so that the rotation of the shaft causes the rise and fall of the skids. Then in their lowest position, the upper turns of the chains 23 are slightly below the top line of the rollers 12,

so that lumber vcarried by these rollers will.

pass freely over the chains. When the shaft 25 is turned to bring the swell of the eccentric 28 upward, the chains 23 are raised above the level of the rollers 12, thus lifting the lumber therefrom and conveying it laterally.

A clutch member 29 is mounted loosely on the shaft 25 and runs between collars 30 31 fixed thereon, the latter collar being shown in dotted lines in Fig.'2. A sprocket-wheel 32, mounted with the clutch member 29, is driven by a chain 34, turning over it, and a sprocketwheel 33, fixed upon the shaft 15, so that the clutch member' runs continuously when the last-named shaft is driven. A second clutch member 35 is mounted so as to slide longitudinally on the shaft 25, being prevented -against relative rotation as to the shaft by means of splines or feathers 36. By moving the clutch member 35 into engagement with the clutch member 29 motion is transmitted to the shaft 25, thereby causing the skids 20 to oscillate vertically.

The clutch member 35 is controlled automatically by a swayeboard 37, located transversely Within the frame of the device and projecting upwardly between the sills 10 and 11, its upper end being slightly below the top line of the rollers 12. This sway-board is pivotally carried by a pair of crank-arms 38, fixed to a shaft 39, journaled in suitable ioorhangers. A controlling -rod leads from a crank-arm 41, fixed upon the shaft 39, to a hand-lever 42, located at any convenient place. By means of this lever the shaft 39 may be rocked, thus raising the sway-board 37 into the path of the lumber, and when it is encountered by a board it is swung backwardly on its pivot and throws the clutch member 35 into engagement with the clutch member 29 by means of a rod or cable 43, leading from IOO the sway-board to a shipper device comprising a crank-arm 44, a shaft 45, suitably journaled in brackets 46, secured to a cross-bar 47, a second crank-arm 48, carried by the shaft 45, being forked and provided with instanding lugs 49 49, which engage an annular groove in the clutch member 35.

A counterweight 50, secured by means of a cord 51, running over a sheave 52 to the crank-arm 44, holds the sway-board 37 normally in .its forward position. Friction-lugs 53, formed on the eccentrics 28, engage suitable friction-blocks 54 when the swell of the eccentrics are down. The forward movement of the sway-board 37 is limited by a pair of stop-blocks 55, secured to the sills 11.

Vhen it is desired to shift a board laterally from the rollers 12, the operator by means of the lever 42 raises the sway-board 37. The board to be shifted upon encounteringthe sway-board swings it backwardly upon its pivot, thereby throwing the clutch member 35 into engagement with the clutch member 29 and causing the rotation of the shaft .25, thus raising the skids and picking the board to be transferred up upon the chains 23, which carry it from the rollers 12, to be delivered to any suitable receiver. (Not shown.) As soon as the end of the board being transferred passes beyond the side of the swayboard 37 the latter is again drawn forwardly by the action of the weight 50, which also causes the release of the clutch and allows the shaft 25 to come to rest, it being stopped by the frictional engagement of the lugs 53 with the blocks 54. The sprocket-wheels 32 33 are so proportioned that the shaft 25 is given but a single turn, while the board being transferred is moved beyond the side of and out of engagement with the sway-board 37.

I claim as my .inventionl. In a lumber-transferring device, in combination, conveying-rollers; oscillatable skids intermediate the rollers; unitary means for turning the rollers and oscillating the skids; a sway-board movable into the path of material carried by the rollers; and means, actuated by the oscillation of the sway-board, for connecting the actuating means with the skids.

2. In a lumber-transferring device, in combination, conveying-rollers; oscillating skids; a rotatable shaft; operative connection between the shaft and skids; means for rotating the shaft; a sway-board movable into the path of material on the rollers; and means controllable by the sway-board for connecting the shaft with its rotating means.

3. In a lumber-transferring device, in combination, conveying-rollers; oscillatable skids; power mechanism; aclutch engaging the power mechanism with the skids; a sway-board movable into the path of material carried by the rollers; and operative connection between the sway-board and the clutch.

4. In a lumber-transferring device, in combination, conveying-rollers; oscillating skids intermediate of the rollers; conveying means carried by the skids; power mechanism for oscillating the skids; a clutch for throwing such mechanism into action; an oscillating sway-board movable into the path of material carried by the rollers; and connection between the sway-board and the movable member of the clutch.

5. In a lumber-transferring device, in combination, conveying-rollers; a power-shaft for driving the rollers; an oscillatable skid; a second shaft; an eccentric on the second shaft; a strap-rod leading from the eccentric to the skid; a rotatable clutch member driven from the first-named shaft; aclutch member carried by the second shaft and movable to engage the rotatable clutch member; a sway-board movable into the path of material carried by the rollers; and a rod leading from the sway-board to the movableclutch member.

.6. In a lumber-transferring device, in combination, conveying-rollers; a power-shaft for driving the rollers; an oscillatable skid; a second shaft; an eccentric on the second shaft; a strap-rod leading from the eccentric to the skid; a rotatable clutch member driven from the first-named shaft; a clutch member carried by the second shaft and movable to engage the rotatable clutch member; a sway-board movable into the path of material carried by the rollers; a rod leading from the sway-board to the movable clutch member; and a counterweight acting on the clutch member in opposition to the sway-board.

DE WITT C. PRESCOTT.

Vitnesses:

CHAsB. GILLsoN, E. M. KLATCHER. 

